It took almost all day yesterday, but we did get all the paperwork done to get the final sheet of paper, our International Zarpe. That is the paper that allows us to travel from one country to another on our boat. We started out the day hunting for the Immigration office in Puntarenas. We were directed to various sites and finally found the correct office. There they got all our paperwork organized and the official called around to find exactly what steps were need to get that important Zarpe. He stamped our passports out of the country.

Next step was a bank window at the municipal offices to pay the Coast Guard fees ($20.00 US). Bill waited in two lines to get that accomplished… one for the paperwork and one to pay the fee. Then it was on to the national bank and its long lines to pay for the Zarpe itself ($20.00 US). The post office was next as we needed two stamps to glue onto the Zarpe to make it official ($0.21 US). Somewhere in there we had stopped at a grocery store to pick up snacks for our passages. We got on a bus to the hospital – reported to be near the Aduana’s office and the next stop.

I got off the bus at the marina with the purchases and ferried them to the boat; Bill continued on the bus. Bill got off the bus at the hospital and eventually found the Aduana’s office a short walk away. From there he caught a taxi ($10.00 US) to the Port Captain’s, located in Caldera at the big shipping port. Armed with the all important Zarpe he returned to the Yacht club (by taxi, $20 US) and I met him in the bar with books to read and short pants in his shower bag. He had to wear long pants to the officials offices. We enjoyed dinner and many beers before returning to Lanikai.

Today we made an early morning run into town to stock up Lanikai with fresh vegetables. I got a nice large bag of salad ingredients and even a cabbage that will last some time in the refrigerator. We returned to the boat and Bill worked diligently on getting a publishable copy of his FotoScrap Album program ready before we leave our good internet access in the late morning tomorrow.